This year it's Singapore's bicentennial. 200 years since Sir Stamford Raffles, landed here and founded modern Singapore. And while this modern city may be more associated cutting edge architecture, the city does have a number of important buildings, dating right back to colonial times.
Choosing just 10 or so historic Singapore buildings is difficult, and of course there are many omissions. But here is my selection of the best heritage architecture from Singapore -
Old Parliament House
Empress Place
Victoria Theatre
National Gallery
Fullerton
St Andrews Cathedral
Thian Hock Keng
Shophouses
Peranakan Architecture
Old Police Station
Armenian Church
Old Parliament House
First on the list of historic buildings is Old Parlimant House. Built in 1827, and located in the Civic area, next to the Singapore River, this is the oldest government building and perhaps the oldest surviving building in Singapore.
Fullerton Hotel
Perhaps Singapore’s most famous building, The Fullerton was named after Robert Fullerton, the first Governor of the Straits Settlements [3]
Designed and used as the General Post Office, the building has also served as a military hospital in the Second World War, but today this impressive building is home to the Fullerton hotel
Empress Place Building
Located on the north bank of the river in the Civic Area. Constructed in four phases from 1864 to 1920, these were originally Government Offices
The original section of the building was designed by colonial engineer John McNair in a neo-Palladian style
Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall
The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, again in the Civic Area, just next to Empress Place.
It first began life as the Town Hall in 1862. Later in the early 1900s a second public hall was built next to it and joined by a clock tower to form one larger building.
It underwent a major four year long re-refurbishment in 2010 wand it now looks immaculate, with a newly modernised theatre and conert hall
National Gallery Singapore
Another structure that began life as two separate buildings is the new National Gallery
The first building, the old Supreme Court was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, in a style that exemplifies British colonial architecture, and opened in 1939
The City Hall building was completed in 1929 in a neo classical style. It has witnessed important moments in Singapore’s history, including the formal Japanese surrender of Singapore back to the British in 1945
Both buildings are now joined together by a large central atrium
St Andrews Cathedral
Is the country's largest cathedral. Located near City Hall, this Cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore was named Saint Andrew after the patron saint of Scotland in honour of the Scottish community who donated to the building fund.[5]
A church existed on the site since 1836, the current church however was built in 1856-1861.
church
Old Hill Street Police Station
The Old Hill Police Station was built in Neo-Classical style and designed F. Dorrington Ward.
As well the usual facilities for a police station, there were living quarters for policemen and their families.
Completed in 1934, it was the largest pre-war government building in Singapore. It has a total of 927 windows with colourful shutters.
It now serves as offices for several government departments
Singaporean Shophouses
The Singapore shop house is a quintessential architectural icon
The origins of the Singapore shop house, trace back to China, where a majority of early immigrants came from.The first shop houses, were constructed during the mid-1840s and there are some well preserved examples here in Everton Road
Baba House
One distinct shop house style is the Peranakan shophouse, and there are some great examples in Joo Chiat.
Peranakan refers to the descendants of the Chinese who originally settled in Malaysia and Singapore
Baba House, built in the 1890s in Neil Road, is a beautifully restored Peranakan house and showcases Peranakan history, architecture and heritage.
For more on the Peranakan culture, visit the Peranakan Museum, itself housed in a historic building in Armenia Street
Thian Hock Keng
Thian Hock Keng (literally "Palace of Heavenly Happiness"), is a temple built for seafarers to give thanks to the chinese sea goddess Mazu for a safe sea passage on their arrival to Singapore. Completed in 1842
Telok Ayer where the temple is situated, marked the coastline before land reclamation.
Armenian Church
Finally, This church was commissioned by the first twelve Armenian families that settled in Singapore.[3] It was designed by George Coleman, the architect of many of Singapore's early buildings. One of the country=’s earliest surviving churches, It was opened in 1836